Hi guys. Waiting for my second scan to confirm a viable pregnancy after a scare of an early bleed around 5 weeks. Have a 2.5yr old who was a success first ivf. Have done 6FET with most being chemical pregnancies. So hoping this fresh cycle pregnancy continues.

I know how scary it is. Even though my first few weeks were uneventful, I was scared all the time given that I had a mmc that was found out at 8 weeks in my previous pregnancy. I was pretty much living in constant anxiety. I am praying for you too! Bleeds in IVF pregnancies seem quite common - not sure if the added progesterone and meds play a role in it. I am sure your bub is fine given that the bleed's stopped.

Oh trust me - the wait now between each check up and scan is going to be WAYYYYYYY harder than the TWW. Like I said to Lilpingu, I was pretty much living in anxiety and fear until my first OB visit at 9 weeks when I got reassured that the pregnancy was still progressing. It's going to be a tough few weeks to wait out, but we are here for you! Remember, no news is good news at this point!

Yes, HCG can range very widely, so I wouldn't try to read too much into it. It would be a bonus to have twins I think. Some people don't find out until a week 9 / 10 scan. My bet is on twins for you! Woohoo!

As for progesterone, I was on Crinone starting from the day before ET - dosage was 1 a day (so only 80mg). After my beta, my FS prescribed me Oripro which the nurse asked me to pick up after I finished my 2 boxes of Crinone. Oripro was 200mg a day and I was perplexed with the increase in progesterone, but after checking, the nurse assured me the dosages were correct. When I saw FS at week 7, she said to continue until week 10 but I know my FS is usually cautious and likes to keep people on the progesterone to almost the end of the first trimester.

So I was on Oripro for another about 3.5 weeks until Week 10. So all in all, I was on almost 7.5 weeks of progesterone. The meds cost me an additional $60 a box. Oripro was more difficult to insert for me, but it was not gel based, which means less leakage and only had to do once a day before going to bed. Crinone's applicator tended to be more irritating and I think more people have side effects / irritation from Crinone.

All in all, I hated the progesterone - it made me bloated, I had indigestion because it really slowed my systems down (at one point, my acupuncturist said my digestive system was really slow so she had to help it with some needle work). I was feeling tired and lethargic all the time. I couldn't wait to get to Week 10 to stop it.

I enjoyed my acupuncture sessions a lot more - I think it's helped and I just recently stopped it at week 11.

I remember @MissTilly having to do extra Crinone for a while after beta too - she had a harder time getting them from the chemist because she lives so far away and it was very costly at $170 per box without the subsidy! My Oripro was much cheaper in comparison.

I think progesterone after beta is usually deemed optional unless your FS has concerns. Some FS likes to keep people on out of caution, others stop it if it looks like all is going well. If you feel it will help, make an appointment to see the FS and get a script for more? What dosage are you on? Do you have enough to last until your scan and next FS appointment?

Thanks heaps for the lovely long reply @VickyP! Yes, it helps a lot
I did actually get to speak to the specialist after the nurse told me to stop the progesterone and he's happy for me to stay on it and is sending me a a script. I guess I was just curious that the protocol was to go off it after the pregnancy is confirmed if levels are ok (I had just assumed that I'd be on it for the first trimester regardless). I actually don't mind being on the Crinone so much, and would like to stay on it just to be on the safe side. I mean, don't get me wrong - the discharge is not pretty (ok, it's kinda gross!), but all in all it's convenient and I haven't felt too affected hormone-wise which is great. I used to be on the Oripro pessaries with my last specialist at Monash, and they were a bit of a pain with having to lie down for half an hour each time. But yeah, even though my progesterone levels were fine, I guess I'm feeling like I'm happy to take all the support I can get (as apparently you can't have 'too much' progesterone). I'm on 2 tubes a day, so I might wean down to 1 after the 7 week scan
In other news, I'm starting to suspect bloody triplets now....I'm so bloated, but the end of the day it looks like I'm showing already! Lol! Seriously though, I would be more than happy if it is twins

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At Preston we are told to take crinone once a day at night and continue until you have used the 2 boxes so that ends up finishing around week 5/6 and that's it. It's nice to be off them that's for sure but you worry about not having any hormones to support a pregnancy as you're so used to being on drugs throughout the whole trying to get pregnant process.
Have my scan booked for next Wednesday and the days are dragging more than ever. Thankfully I've got a busy weekend ahead!

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Yep - I'm at Preston (I forgot you were too @Lilpingu!) so that makes sense they told me to stop. It's exactly what you say - I worry about supporting a pregnancy when I've only been able to get pregnant thanks to the drugs! :/

Yep I was the same as @Lilpingu - another Preston patient/protocol with the crinone I hated the crinone, I'm sure using the applicator daily is what led to me having thrush, the nurses kept telling me it was just crinone irritation and I tried to believe it but it just didn't go away it got really bad arrrrgh am now using canesten and feeling so much better! I hope I'm not going to be a candidate for it during pregnancy, just trying to reduce my sugar intake as much as possible!

Glad you are feeling better @onedaymaybebaby. Thankfully I've not ever really suffered from thrush, however, I am prone to the joys of recurrent UTI's.....of which I think I have another one Went to the local GP yesterday and she freaked me out saying although rare, there are still dangers of taking antibiotics this early in pregnancy. Have been regularly taking cranberry tablets in the hopes of keeping a UTI at bay, but I guess it hasn't worked. Will get the results of the urine test tomorrow to confirm it's a UTI, but I'm pretty sure it is and I'll have to take the antibiotics (as I hear that having a UTI can also be not good for pregnancy if left too long!). Bummer....

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Oh yuck you poor thing @OneOfTheseDays! I've only ever suffered from one uti in my life and it was the worst thing ever! I really feel for you! Hopefully they can get you onto a safer antibiotic and get it cleared for you! My GP took a swab on Saturday so I will get results soon but I'm guessing it must have been thrush as there's been a huge improvement already!

On a side note, are you ladies back in the "swing of things" with your hubbies? I've been holding off purely because of the irritation down there but my GP said hold off for a bit longer as we don't want to do anything to risk causing an issue being only 8 weeks along.....how long do we have to wait lol.....poor DF

Yes, for me, on the one hand, I was worried about being off the progesterone (it's reassuring to have it), on the other hand, I couldn't wait to stop it.

The bloating could be from the Crinone @OneOfTheseDays - I was very bloated too. Sign of indigestion. Eat more fruit and drink lots of water. Ginger helps too.

I guess I have been lucky - haven't had much side effects from Crinone although I know it's common. The only scare I had was twice, the applicator came back out with fresh blood on the tip. Like bright red in colour. I freaked the first time. But I didn't get spotting or bleeding (just on the applicator) and I called the nurse the next day and she said it was common because Crinone causes the cervix to be irritated and more prone to scratches. Since then, I always tried to be very gentle and more careful when inserting and not insert it too deep.

Anyways, hang in there!

Hope you get some safe AB soon @OneOfTheseDays. Must be super uncomfortable! and glad to know your FS was ready to send you a script!

Hope you feel better and that the thrush will stay away for the rest of the time @onedaymaybebaby!

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Hi lovely ladies! It's the wee hours of the morning and have been awake for the past hour as it is, think the pregnancy insomnia might be starting to hit but half think I'm doing it to myself. @VickyP I first felt 'something' at 16 weeks, like something the size of my fist rolling around in the middle of the night after waking up and not being able to get back to sleep ~ was so amazing and definitely couldn't sleep from excitement after that! Lol! So wanted to wake the hubby up and tell him but figured he wouldn't have been able to feel it anyway and would share our exciting news in the morning. I think what I'm doing now is waking up at all sorts of hours, not because of discomfort but just because and then I'll lay there and wait to feel bub move which is happening more & more now and then get all excited, too excited to get back to sleep! Vicious cycle but feeling her move is just the best. I start to worry if I haven't felt much movement when I wake up of a night which doesn't help with trying to get back to sleep but then she does something to let me know 'I'm still here! All is ok!' ☺️
@oneofthesedatys, Oh yes, the crinone... So glad that is done & dusted! My fs wanted me to study on it for a further 3 weeks after our pregnancy blood test, and yep ~ @VickyP is spot on with costs but I too was happy to go along with any extra support and then of course as it got closer to finishing the extra weeks of crinone started worrying about what if something happens when I stop it and I still need the extra progresterone, it was a stressful first day without it but then a few more days went by and everything still felt normal so I started enjoying not having to do it! The crinone made me so tired as well so i felt better getting some of my energy back just from coming off the crinone.
@onedaymaybebaby, thrush is the worst hey! I've only had it once before I was pregnant so thankfully it hasn't come back.

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